25 Jul 2019 --- Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) – also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease – may be slowed by specific strains of gut microbes, according to researchers at the Weizmann Institute of Science, Israel. An ALS-like disease in mice showed slowed progression after they received certain strains of gut microbes. The specific strain found to be beneficial, called Akkermansia Muciniphila, has also been linked to the reduction of other disease factors by prior research. A further aspect of the study found that the gut microbe of humans with the disease differed to healthy controls, highlighting the need for further research into the link between the gut and ALS and potential avenues for treatment.
